Build Green

The Plight of America’s Barns

The structures of America’s colonial and Pre-Civil War era are disappearing at an alarming rate. Some barns and houses simply give in to nature as years of neglect take its toll.  Others fall prey to development, modernization and urban sprawl. Fine old barns are bulldozed over to make way for modern life on a daily basis. Fire departments are sometimes called in to use an old, unwanted barn for practice.

We at Berkshire Barns are working to save these fine examples of Americana. From on-site restoration for a proud barn owner to complete relocations, our goal is to make sure these fine architectural artifacts do not get destroyed and erased from the history books.
Reusing old barns is not a new idea.

In fact, some of the old barns we dismantle have previously been dismantled and rebuilt once before, perhaps 100 years ago. Every barn has a story, and if through the process of historically sensitive restoration, that story can be uncovered, your barn frame is no longer just another wooden structure, it is a visible, tangible piece of American history.

Timber framed structures are quite adaptable and can be converted to a variety of uses:
Through careful planning and respectful restoration and reconstruction, an early timber frame structure can be adapted to nearly any modern use.  Whether it is a home, garage, business space or play house, a vintage timber structure ads character and warmth to your space that cannot be matched with modern materials.

Building Green

There is no greener way to build than by starting with a recycled structure.  Our historic barn and house frames are made from old growth wood that was harvested from the forests 100’s of years ago, before the invention of big forestry equipment that require lots of fossil fuels.  Men with their animals and axes felled the trees that will make up the heart of your new home or addition. 

Sequestered Carbon

Our carbon footprint has become big news in the last few years.  Do you know your carbon footprint? ”Calculate your carbon footprint here.  Each one of us emits carbon in a variety of ways:  one of those ways is by the choices we make in how we will build our home.  Because historic timbers were cut by hand and no carbon was released in the process, they are considered a source of “Sequestered Carbon.".  By recycling antique timber framed structures you are reducing your carbon footprint by not using new wood and keeping the sequestered carbon in your timbers from ever being released to the environment.

Thank you for visiting us and we look forward to an opportunity to work with you in giving new life to a  forgotten American treasure.